Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 August 1919 — CALL OFF RAIL SHOP WALKOUT [ARTICLE]

CALL OFF RAIL SHOP WALKOUT

Throit of Big Traffic Tleup Is Removed After Spirited Meeting at Chicago. LAY TROUBLE TO THE 1. W. W. Ballot Nearly Unanimous for Sending Men Back to Work in Central District Leaders Say Action Marks End of Strike. Chien go, Aug. 15. —The break tn the railroad shop crafts’ strike cuiue when representatives of 27,000 car men decided by an overwhelming vote to return to work. The vote to remain In affiliation with the international organization of the union Instead of with the Chicago die trlct council of federated shop crafts which has had charge of the strike*, came after a spirited session during which it was charged that the I. W. W. has been responsible for the rebellion In the ranks of the shop men. President Offers Resolution. The resolution providing that the men resume work was presented by P. A. Halleen, president of the centra) body of car men, at a mass meeting in Car Men's hall. Under its provisions, delegates will meet to discuss the details of presenting their case to the government through the international officers and fix the date for their return.

The meeting was addressed by J. M. Patterson, international vice president of the association, who laid the disturbances in the Chicago district to the Influence of a “red” element. The meeting, which had been spirited prior to his appearance, became uproarious when he stepped upon the stage, cheers greeting him from one side of the house and boos and cat calls from the other. *For seyeral minutes he could not be heard. When he came to the center of the platform nfter the crowd had calmed enough r him to. speak, questions were hurled nt him from a group in the front row. Bays I. W. W. Started Trouble. One of the men in this faction was waving a newspaper and as soon as opportunity presented itself Mr. Patterson asked that the paper be brought to the stage. After a wrangle the paper was seized and passed to the speaker. < He opened it and showed the first page to the audience. “It's an I. W. W. paper,” he said. “All the disturbance here and all the trouble over the present controversycan be traced to I. W. W. Influence. The L W. W. has been responsible for the disobedience of car men to the orders Of their own union and for every other radical action that has taken place since this illegal walkout began* The sentiment of the men swung about in favor of the speaker after his brief attack on the rod element and ihe vote in favor of adopting President Hglleen’s resolution was close to unanimous. Leaders of ail crafts represented in the associated meeting stated that the return of 27,000 car men to their benches and lathes marks the end of the strike which has threatened to paralyze transportation in the entife country. About 500 delegates are at the conference, representing all the railroad shops of the Chicago district. To Act on Jewell Threat Action will be taken on a telegram from B. M. Jewell, acting international president of the executive council of railroad shopmen, who has threatened the striking railroad shopmen with expulsion from the regular organization. Reports from various sections indicate that outside of Chicago the striking shopmen are gradually getting back to work under persuasion of their grand lodge officers,